Patents by Inventor Hirofumi Katoh

Hirofumi Katoh has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6896179
    Abstract: To predice impending system failures, dummy messages are periodically transmitted from a surveillance computer via a message broker to a host computer that executes processes in response to electronic messages from terminals and returns an electronic message. The dummy electronic messages are time-stamped when transmitted from the surveillance computer, when received and transmitted by the message broker, and when a process is executed by the host. The surveillance computer predicts impending failures by comparing the time required while a transmitted dummy electronic message returns to the surveillance computer, a mean value of the required time, a time required while the dummy electronic message passes through the message broker, a mean value of the time for the passage, a time required for a dummy electronic message transmission between each computer and a mean value of the time for transmission to each base value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Satoh, Takashi Furuta, Kuniaki Nakajima, Hirofumi Katoh
  • Publication number: 20040134739
    Abstract: A viscous fluid coupling includes a housing rotatably supported to a drive shaft of an engine. An operation plate set in the housing divides a space of the housing into a reservoir and an operation chamber. The operation plate has a communication hole communicating the reservoir and the operation chamber. A rotor fixed to the drive shaft is disposed in the operation chamber. A valve mechanism installed to the operation plate to close and open the communication hole according to ambient temperature of the housing. A driven wheel fixed to the housing is located between the operation plate and the rotor. A torque transmitting section includes a first annular projection concentrically formed on the driven wheel and a plurality of second annular projections concentrically formed on the rotor. The first annular projections are overlappedly adjacent to the second annular projections so as to establish fluid coupling therebetween through the viscous fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Applicant: UNISIA JECS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirofumi Katoh, Shinichi Kawada, Kenzi Ohhara, Yasuo Fujita
  • Publication number: 20040042472
    Abstract: To predice impending system failures, dummy messages are periodically transmitted from a surveillance computer via a message broker to a host computer that executes processes in response to electronic messages from terminals and returns an electronic message. The dummy electronic messages are time-stamped when transmitted from the surveillance computer, when received and transmitted by the message broker, and when a process is executed by the host. The surveillance computer predicts impending failures by comparing the time required while a transmitted dummy electronic message returns to the surveillance computer, a mean value of the required time, a time required while the dummy electronic message passes through the message broker, a mean value of the time for the passage, a time required for a dummy electronic message transmission between each computer and a mean value of the time for transmission to each base value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Satoh, Takashi Furuta, Kuniaki Nakajima, Hirofumi Katoh
  • Patent number: 6679365
    Abstract: A viscous fluid coupling includes a housing rotatably supported to a drive shaft of an engine. An operation plate set in the housing divides a space of the housing into a reservoir and an operation chamber. The operation plate has a communication hole communicating the reservoir and the operation chamber. A rotor fixed to the drive shaft is disposed in the operation chamber. A valve mechanism installed to the operation plate to close and open the communication hole according to ambient temperature of the housing. A driven wheel fixed to the housing is located between the operation plate and the rotor. A torque transmitting section includes a first annular projection concentrically formed on the driven wheel and a plurality of second annular projections concentrically formed on the rotor. The first annular projections are overlappedly adjacent to the second annular projections so as to establish fluid coupling therebetween through the viscous fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: Unisia Jecs Corporation
    Inventors: Hirofumi Katoh, Shinichi Kawada, Kenzi Ohhara, Yasuo Fujita
  • Publication number: 20020185354
    Abstract: A viscous fluid coupling includes a housing rotatably supported to a drive shaft of an engine. An operation plate set in the housing divides a space of the housing into a reservoir and an operation chamber. The operation plate has a communication hole communicating the reservoir and the operation chamber. A rotor fixed to the drive shaft is disposed in the operation chamber. A valve mechanism installed to the operation plate to close and open the communication hole according to ambient temperature of the housing. A driven wheel fixed to the housing is located between the operation plate and the rotor. A torque transmitting section includes a first annular projection concentrically formed on the driven wheel and a plurality of second annular projections concentrically formed on the rotor. The first annular projections are overlappedly adjacent to the second annular projections so as to establish fluid coupling therebetween through the viscous fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2002
    Publication date: December 12, 2002
    Applicant: UNISIA JECS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirofumi Katoh, Shinichi Kawada, Kenzi Ohhara, Yasuo Fujita
  • Patent number: 6474458
    Abstract: A viscous fluid coupling includes a housing rotatably supported to a drive shaft of an engine. An operation plate set in the housing divides a space of the housing into a reservoir and an operation chamber. The operation plate has a communication hole communicating the reservoir and the operation chamber. A rotor fixed to the drive shaft is disposed in the operation chamber. A valve mechanism installed to the operation plate to close and open the communication hole according to ambient temperature of the housing. A driven wheel fixed to the housing is located between the operation plate and the rotor. A torque transmitting section includes a first annular projection concentrically formed on the driven wheel and a plurality of second annular projections concentrically formed on the rotor. The first annular projections are overlappedly adjacent to the second annular projections so as to establish fluid coupling therebetween through the viscous fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Unisia Jecs Corporation
    Inventors: Hirofumi Katoh, Shinichi Kawada, Kenzi Ohhara, Yasuo Fujita
  • Patent number: 6336538
    Abstract: A fluid coupling includes an operation plate for defining storage and working chambers in a housing and having a communicating hole for fluid communication between the two, a driven wheel arranged adjacent to the operation plate, a torque-transfer part for transmitting torque of a rotor to the housing, and a valve mechanism for opening and closing the communicating hole. An auxiliary chamber, which is arranged in the driven wheel, brings working fluid out of the communicating hole to the torque-transfer part. A positioning mechanism ensures circumferential positioning of the operation plate and the driven wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2002
    Assignee: Unisia Jecs Corporation
    Inventors: Hirofumi Katoh, Kenji Ohhara, Yasuo Fujita
  • Patent number: 6305519
    Abstract: A viscous fluid coupling includes a housing rotatably supported to a drive shaft of an engine. An operation plate set in the housing divides a space of the housing into a reservoir and an operation chamber. The operation plate has a communication hole communicating the reservoir and the operation chamber. A rotor fixed to the drive shaft is disposed in the operation chamber. A valve mechanism installed to the operation plate to close and open the communication hole according to ambient temperature of the housing. A driven wheel fixed to the housing is located between the operation plate and the rotor. A torque transmitting section includes a first annular projection concentrically formed on the driven wheel and a plurality of second annular projections concentrically formed on the rotor. The first annular projections are overlappedly adjacent to the second annular projections so as to establish fluid coupling therebetween through the viscous fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Unisia Jecs Corporation
    Inventors: Hirofumi Katoh, Shinichi Kawada, Kenzi Ohhara, Yasuo Fujita
  • Publication number: 20010023808
    Abstract: A viscous fluid coupling includes a housing rotatably supported to a drive shaft of an engine. An operation plate set in the housing divides a space of the housing into a reservoir and an operation chamber. The operation plate has a communication hole communicating the reservoir and the operation chamber. A rotor fixed to the drive shaft is disposed in the operation chamber. A valve mechanism installed to the operation plate to close and open the communication hole according to ambient temperature of the housing. A driven wheel fixed to the housing is located between the operation plate and the rotor. A torque transmitting section includes a first annular projection concentrically formed on the driven wheel and a plurality of second annular projections concentrically formed on the rotor. The first annular projections are overlappedly adjacent to the second annular projections so as to establish fluid coupling therebetween through the viscous fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2001
    Publication date: September 27, 2001
    Inventors: Hirofumi Katoh, Shinichi Kawada, Kenzi Ohhara, Yasuo Fujita
  • Patent number: 6220416
    Abstract: A temperature-sensing, variable-speed fan drive with a fluid coupling filled with working fluid, for cooling two stacked heat exchangers, namely an engine cooling-system radiator and an air-conditioner condenser located in front of the radiator, comprises a partition plate dividing the internal space of a fan housing into a reservoir chamber and a working chamber, and two different communication ports, each formed in the partition plate to communicate the reservoir chamber with the working chamber. In addition to a first valve mechanism which adjusts the opening of one of the two communication ports in response to atmospheric temperature in the circumference of the housing, a second valve mechanism is provided to adjust the opening of the other of the two communication ports in response to a refrigerant pressure in the air-conditioner condenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Unisia Jecs Corporation
    Inventors: Hirofumi Katoh, Tatsuyuki Matsuya
  • Patent number: 5803221
    Abstract: A viscous fluid clutch includes a housing rotatably mounted to a drive shaft and a clutch plate attached to the drive shaft. These relatively rotatable members have a fluid shear space therebetween and cooperable with a fluid medium in the shear space to provide a shear-type fluid drive therebetween. The housing includes a reservoir, an operating chamber and a pump outlet opening communicating between the operating chamber and the reservoir. An annular wall is secured at its inner and outer peripheral edges to the clutch plate and includes an annular bend between the outer and inner peripheral edges to define an annular auxiliary reservoir in cooperation with the clutch plate. The housing has an annular recess accommodating the annular bend. The annular recess is defined by a cylindrical inner surface. This cylindrical inner surface and the opposed surface of the annular bend define therebetween an annular passage communicating with the operating chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Unisia Jecs Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Kawada, Kenji Ohhara, Hirofumi Katoh, Yasuo Fujita